What is it?
Medical acupuncture is a method of diagnosis and treatment used in certain clinical situations, which allows for the correction of certain alterations and an improvement in overall organic functioning.
These corrections are made by inserting small needles into certain anatomical sites, promoting the restoration of the body’s physiology through local, segmental and supra-segmental effects.
Western medicine, from a scientific point of view, explains the effects of acupuncture through the stimulation and release of endogenous substances, endorphins, neurotransmitters and hormones that shape the central nervous and autonomic systems, promoting balance in the body without the administration of any chemical substances.
After an anamnesis, which consists of asking different questions related to aspects of the patient’s life and clinical observation, a diagnosis is reached and only then is treatment carried out.
This can be multimodal (using one or more synergistic techniques) and will be initiated in accordance with the strategy defined in the meantime, in order to correctly manage all the medical and complementary contributions.
Effectiveness / Indications of Acupuncture
The clinical effectiveness of acupuncture, demonstrated in dozens of studies, has led the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US government’s medical research center, to recognize acupuncture, which comes from traditional Chinese medicine, as a powerful ally of Western medicine.
In Europe, particularly in Germany, studies involving a large number of patients have confirmed the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating musculoskeletal conditions such as hip and knee arthritis, low back pain, chronic shoulder pain and other conditions such as tension headaches and dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain).
Acupuncture is also recommended for the treatment or relief of organic functional symptoms such as intractable hiccups, nausea and vomiting of various kinds, including pregnancy and chemotherapy.
The World Health Organization lists several indications.